Truthfully, this book started better than it finished. But I think I feel that way because the protagonist sort of embodies the negatives we never admit to... she is utterly ruthless in her quest to become empress and she is seemingly soulless in her drive. It would seem to be based on that which is out of her control, but it also makes it hard to root for her. I’ll be interested by what follows.

It took me a long time to finish Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, but overall, this book turned out to be a solid story. Julie C. Dao's writing is beautiful and poetic--the perfect voice for a tale such as this one!

What I Liked:

I love fairytale retellings and even more from the point of view of the future antagonist! Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a retelling of The Evil Queen (Snow White) and I enjoyed when pieces of this enigmatic figure came up at certain points in the story. Xifeng, the main character, battles with herself for the most part of the story, torn between wanting a simple life with the man she loves (or thinks she loves) to the life of an Empress she believes she is destined to have. Choosing to follow what she believes is her fate, she becomes ruthless and even eats the hearts of those that stand in her way, believing she is doing them a favor to live on within her.

Xifeng is not the most likeable character (for obvious reasons), but she has a certain charm. It's not often when I get to read books with an anti-heroine and I do like them a lot. It's entertaining to read how their minds work, how they transform and change throughout the novel from good to bad and vice-versa, just like Xifeng does in this story. Can't say I root for her, but I certainly want to see how far she goes.

However, I can say that I fell more for her traveling companions and Wei, her small-town lover. If there's one character I wish to read more about is him! He's not a perfect person, but he certainly fought for Xifeng, believing he could get her free from her aunt's clutches, not knowing he's also fighting Xifeng's own desires.

What Left Me Wanting More:

Although Julie C. Dao's writing is beautiful and lyrical (could probably lose myself in her vivid descriptions), this book left me wanting more dialogue and action. More showing rather than telling. Xifeng's thoughts were interesting, but there came a time when it got too repetitive and made it harder for me to keep reading and not pick up another read.

With the above in mind, there were also some secrets revealed within this book without any form of reaction from Xifeng or other characters, which in turn made it duller for me as a reader. Perhaps this is a reflection of Xifeng's emotional state, but I do wish to have seen a bit of internal conflict. Especially with Guma, her aunt.

Final Verdict:

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a nice retelling about the Evil Queen and her rise to the throne before facing Snow-White. It is set in East Asia so there's beautifully imagery involved, but I do wish we could have explored more of it. There's always the sequel though!

In this book we do not find any hero figure, but the figure of a so-called villain as a protagonist. Xifeng actually may seem like a normal girl in love at the beginning, who wants to pursue the future that her aunt predicted for her, even though her Guma has always been very strict towards the girl.

But soon her will is altered by the obscure suggestions of the demon that hosts within her body. She will end up killing and plotting against people who are close to her to become empress, thus conquering the emperor's heart and exterminating all her rivals.

I sincerely believed that in the end she chose the prince heir to the throne, but apparently he left to go and save his brother, but without knowing he was killed. We do not know what happens, but he does not come back. I was totally misled by the way the plot took at the end.

The first half of the book is normal, explanatory I would dare to say, because we do not encounter many mysteries as in the second part, the part where everything really happens. For the second book I do not know what to expect. The first ends with the realization of her goals, but I'm almost sure that Julie has very clear ideas since on instagram many times she posts photos of her progress for Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (title of the sequel).

And as if having a book in which the protagonist is a real badass was not enough, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is one of the few books in which there is a guide to the pronunciation of the characters, which, as an addition in a book, together with maps, it's something that I love a lot.

For me this book deserves 4.5 stars, but I'll get to 5 for the beautiful cover, the plot that comes out from the usual lines, and the content.

I didn't know this was an anti-heroine protagonist, so when she turned to the darkness, I was pretty surprised. But it was so well-written, and I enjoyed that turn. I am really looking forward to the next installment.

I did not realize that this was an anti-heroine protagonist, at first, so when she turned to the darkness, I was surprised. But it was so well-written, that I enjoyed that turn. I am really looking forward to the next one.

I really wanted to love this book. It's so popular right now. Unfortunately, I dnf'd it around a third of the way through. The writing was beautiful and I was really interested in the main character's evil side, but the plot was too slow paced for me. It started out great, slowed down more during their journey and the attack in the forest, but by the time they reached the city, I was struggling to stay interested. Maybe it was just me, I know a lot of others loved this book!

This was a wonderful dark eastern retelling of Snow White with a complicated and difficult MC. I loved the fact that we are brought in on an anti hetoine's journey and actually get to watch real character development. We have so few starring female anti heroes and they usually end up changing to fit thebparameters of niceness or being punishef. Full marks to the author for letting the character go free on that. A beautiful book

This East Asian retelling of The Evil Queen legend gives the reader exactly what it advertises - a ruthless girl & her story of rising to power. It’s Gone Girl but with infinitely more magic and more blood & killings as well.

It all revolves around Xifeng. She’s eighteen when we meet her, from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere and the fairest of them all. What’s so intoxicating about this character, is that she’s fully fleshed out and surprises you from the very beginning. She has a clear goal in her mind and she’s determined to achieve it, yes. But she doesn’t start her adventure as the flat-out black character. There’s still some small part of her striving for the light. She’s struggling with that side of herself and that makes the reader feel closer to her, it makes us so ready to love her because it’s such a painfully human trait.

She changes throughout the book though. And it’s incredibly refreshing to read a story like this. Because in the end, Xifeng is so unapologetically cold-blooded!! Make no mistake about it, she is the villain of the story. She’s The Evil Queen in the making and it’s very clear she enjoys her journey. And we enjoy it just as much! She doesn’t apologise for what she most desires and she takes every road necessary to achieve her ends. So rarely do we see girls in literature being allowed to do just that! To grab what they want & not have a single care for others! And to still have the sympathy of the readers…

Because it’s simply impossible not to like Xifeng & not to root for her. We meet her as something of an abused girl, a delicate thing that might need protecting and our love for her stays with us. Even when she does things that could land her in prison in real life. She’s your typical “bad boy”, only instead of a leather jacket she wears blood-red silk & she’s actually bad. And still, you want her to succeed. She’s vain and selfish, and has a giant ego - and yet, she’s the main character!

Xifeng isn’t the only reason you should read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns though. Her journey & all of its twists are mesmerising for sure but it’s worth it just for the world-building itself. The story takes places in a fantasy land, based on the countries of East Asia, and it draws from the culture & mythology of those. Dao weaves together a beautiful, rich world and it’s a true joy to explore it together with Xifeng!

I’m in love with both the story & the main character herself (even if I’m also terrified of her) and frankly, I cannot! wait! to read the second installment and see what other dark deeds our ruthless Evil Queen has in store.

The premise of this book sounded so, so amazing! It was one of my most anticipated books, but I just couldn't get into it. I DNFed it at 51%. I really tried to power through, but there was lots of brooding and no action. The MC was unlikable and uninteresting. I also felt no connection with the romance. This one was a big disappointment for me, but I know so many others loved it.

All in all, Forest of A Thousand Lantern is a strong series opener. With its lush world building, ancient magical power being at work, and an anti-hero as the main character, this book is definitely a page-turner and I’m intrigued of how Xifeng’s story would end. If you’re looking for a fairytale retellings, specifically about The Evil Queen, this book is for you.

A fairy tale retelling with East Asian influences sounded the perfect concoction and I, initially, was sure I was going to love this. Whilst it delivered exactly what it said it would my issues lay in the beginning segment, which was at a slower pace than I had anticipated. I found that whilst my interest piqued as the story-line continued, I was still feeling a little flat from the beginning and was, unfortunately, unable to fully immerse myself in the tale.

The idea and premise is so intriguing and sounded so perfect for me. It is entertaining with a rich world and lyrical writing. The intricately thought out main character is an anti-heroine which made a refreshing read.
The usual likes and dislikes, relating to the star rating 3/5:

+1 | idea
+1 | writing
+1 | world
- 1 | characters
- 1 | pace

Xifeng has been told since childhood that she is destined to be the Empress. Beautiful, her Aunt Guma has taught her to heal herself and maintain her beauty by eating the hearts of those she has killed. Xifeng leaves her village and travels to the city, where she catches the eye of the Emperor's son. Taken into the court, she finds that in order to gain power, she must embrace the darkness within herself.

This was an interesting and unexpected story. It was certainly a different twist to the classic fairy tale genre. Some of the secondary characters came across as shallow and stereotypical. I would be interested in reading a sequel.

This is an amazing Evil Queen origin story!! I love retellings and fairy tales. I'd heard nothing but amazing things about this story and I was not disappointed. The setting and culture were beautifully vivid and lush. I also thought the writing was fantastic.

This is a lush, beautifully written anti-heroine fantasy. The Asian-inspired world is wonderfully built, the characters complex, all in all, a wonderful ride!

Honestly, I'm a little bit breathless with awe as I write this review. I just finished the novel, and I am still reeling from how much I wanted Xifeng's path to change, all the while knowing where it was headed.

That's the beauty of the writing in this novel, I suppose. Despite knowing exactly where and how this story ends, I was desperately wishing for something different. I had grown that attached to Xifeng's character.

She is a complex character. I don't think I've ever read a novel whereby the main character is an anti-heroine destined to be a villain in someone else's story, but it has definitely set a very high bar for such stories. There were moments where I was repulsed by her actions, and moments where I was so sad for her, and moments where I was hoping against hope that she would make a different choice and choose love for herself. Her arc was handled so well, and I cannot wait to see how the familiar story grows from here.

The writing in the story was so vivid at times that when I started it, I had nightmares for a bit. I found myself having to take breaks and unable to read it before I slept, because it painted such stark pictures. At the same time, I was loathe to stop reading because the story just sucked me right in.

And the imagery! The culture and the influences were rife in the whole novel. It was like stepping into the ancient China I've only seen in the dramas and movies I used to catch on TV, like seeing the few old Chinese myths and legends I've heard of come alive on the words of this story. I am so fascinated by the lore in this story.

The Serpent God is a chilling shadowy character that I am a little terrified of, and his hold on Xifeng is going to lead to both their downfalls. On the other hand, I find myself questioning where the Dragon King is in all of this, and why he has not intervened yet when his own line has been all but extinguished.

I think this is one of the best written novels I've ever read, and I cannot wait to read more from the author and about these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Philomel Books for the opportunity to read and review Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao. Xifeng lives with and under the control of her Aunt Guma in a poverty-stricken kingdom where the king forces young women to be his concubines. Guma uses magic that makes others suspicious and cautious. She’s reading cards for Xifeng’s future and the cards state that Xifeng is going to be Empress someday. Xifeng and her boyfriend Wei leave the village for their freedom and their futures. They each discover something new about themselves and each other. This debut novel contains unique elements. The protagonist also seems to be the antagonist and as the story unfolds the theme seems to change. I’m fascinated with Xifeng and her reasoning with all of her actions as well as the beautiful relationship she has with Wei. An impressive, entertaining first novel by Julie C. Dao! 5 stars!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

EXPECTATIONS: Ever since I read Heartless by Marissa Meyers I realized I really enjoy books about villains. And considering that Forest of Thousand Lanterns is about an evil queen I was really up for it from the moment I found this book on Goodreads.

THE WORLD: I would say very fairy tale like but most of the time it actually feels very similar to ours. Yes there is magic and yes there are enchanted forests and fantastic creatures but that is not talked about as much as I would have liked. The moment we arrive to the emperor's castle we pretty much enter the usual royal atmosphere. Also this book deals with an emperor who has many wives and they all fight for his attention so if you are not into books featuring harem I would stay away from this one.

CHARACTERS: Xifeng is a young girl when we meet her, she is raised by her crazy aunt who has it in her head that Xifeng is destined to be an empress. So Xifeng sets out to the emperor's castle to become part of his harem and with big hopes to actually become and empress. Now don't forget Xifeng is not a goody good character, she actually uses others and the fact that they love her to her advantage whenever needed. There is a boy in this book who is crazy in love with Xifeng and she just keeps breaking his heart again and again, it's pretty horrible. Xifeng is also blinded by the fact that she must be an empress, basically if she is not an empress than she should not be living and is worth nothing. So what do I think of this Xifeng character? Well to be honest I am not a big fan. I mean yes I like that she is fine with doing whatever it takes but the whole idea of making a man fall for you to be somebody is a bit hmm...There is a lot also girl on girl hate because well it is a harem and all women are fighting for a drop of attention. So even tho I did like Xifeng something I found myself not liking the general idea so much that it reflected also on my feeling towards Xifeng.

ROMANCE: As I already mentioned men go crazy about Xifeng, she is this amazingly beautiful blah blah girl that everybody just drops in love with. Frankly that was too much for me.

GOOD: I liked beginning of the book really much and it was so promising till we got to the girl on girl hate.

BAD: Essentially it is all about using men that fall in love with you and making a man love you to be somebody. I don't like this idea of having so much testosterone involved. I am also against harem lifestyle or polygamy in general. I am not saying there is only monogamy that is right but I very much dislike the idea of doing whatever it takes for attention of a man. It might be feminist speaking in me but really, nobody needs a man to be validated. Maybe if it was a queer harem is would feel different.

OVERALL: It was alright but I will not read next book in the series. I just cannot deal with so much testosterone and need of man's approval.

My favourite thing about this book was that Xifeng was not a nice girl. That seems harsh, and perhaps it is, but it’s also true. I don’t mean this in a nitpicking way. Xifeng is selfish, ambitious, and determined to the point of being willing to walk over anyone else to get what she wants. She has set her sights on being Empress, and she will do anything, and does more than the unimaginable, to get it. There were scenes that were difficult to read, and events in the book that change your opinion of Xifeng for good, but it all adds to the complexity of the tale, and of Xifeng herself.

When the book begins, we don’t yet know if she is an unwilling pawn in a game of her aunt’s, whether she even wants to follow this path that has been set out before her, but as Xifeng takes step after step down the path, and as she knocks opponents and obstacles out of her way, we see her accepting her own desires, and embracing her ambitious selfishness and the darkness that lies within her soul. By the end of the novel, there is no doubt that Xifeng is not the pure, innocent girl that we thought she was at the start of the novel. She is dark, evil even, but having followed her along her whole journey, it is difficult to ignore the humanity in her that even she has set aside. Xifeng’s characterisation made this book so easy to read for me.

I loved seeing the exploration of her character reach new depths, and couldn’t get enough of deciphering her morals, or lack of them. What seemed like a bit of a cookie cutter female protagonist in the first pages, turned out to be a character of many layers, with surprises lurking beneath each and every one. When the book ended, I was shocked. I kept expecting a redemption arc, a sorrowful and repenting protagonist, eager to right her wrongs, but Xifeng doesn’t regret anything that she has done to get what she wants, and as horrifying as that is, I also found it refreshing and exciting to read a character do so confidently.

Overall, I really adored Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, and I’d love to read it again in the future to explore Xifeng some more. Whilst this book might not be for readers who like to like their protagonists, or for those who don’t like violence and gore, I would still recommend giving it a try and letting it challenge you. I like morally ambiguous characters, and still, Xifeng even challenged me. Julie C Dao writes Xifeng in a way that you still hold out some hope for her, and you’re so reluctant to let go of it, and that made reading Forest of a Thousand Lanterns a really interesting experience for me personally. I really think that this book has pushed the boundaries of YA fiction, and I hope to see more books like it.

This is a wicked read of a rising empress. An antiheroine’s journey, you’ll hate and love and succumb for the risk of knowing how prophecy dictates a woman’s dark and envious mission.

Forest Of A Thousand Lanterns is definitely a book you’ll read for its writhing sense of wit and dangerous actions. A story with a protagonist goes dark side conquering her true fate ahead as the cards revealed. A twisted tale of desire, beauty, envy, and wickedness.

A deja vu happened to infest my mind during reading this book that reminds me somehow a piece of similarities of my previous read. How the main character delves deeper through her course that favors her success. Quite I expected from this story yet it still uniquely reestablish again in my mind.

I really have a mixed feeling throughout this. A pang of hatred for Xifeng, the antiheroine protagonist, yet I still adore her clever, firm, and brave self. A collision of turns of events. That nasty and gory ritual – you have to read this to know what I mean.

You definitely read this if you’re looking for a fantasy that weaves the story into a magnificent dark twisted feminine tale. Also, this depicts how the woman become a power to a man’s world.

Do I love this book? More than I can say I love it. This is just too great for a debut novel. A compelling and awesome one to say.